Apparatus for eliminating condensation in steam-engine cylinders.



W. A. MOFFAT. Y

APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING CONDENSATION IN STEAM ENGINE CYLINDERS.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, I915.

1,9135%, Patehted Apr. 3-, 1917 WALTER A. MOFFAT, or nine, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING OONDENSATION IN STEAM-ENGINE CYLINDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 191W.

Application filed February 11, 1915. Serial No. 7,501.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cir/run A. Morrn'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forEliminating Condensation in Steam-Engine Cylinders; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to steam engines, and consists in providing meansfor heating engine cylinders so that the Working steam will not becomecondensed within said cylinder.

This object may be obtained by placing the tubes of a super-heater inthe discharge end of the fiues of a steam-boiler, where the temperatureof the fire-gas, passing therethrough is lowest, and then passing aportion of the exhaust steam from the engine through said super-heaterand from superheater into a steam jacket around the engine cylinder, andthence allowing the same to escape to the atmosphere.

It will be evident that as the temperature of the exhaust steam isrelatively low, the fire-gas, after performing its office of generatingsteam, will be very much more eflicient when acting upon exhaust steamwhich is at a very much lower temperature, and that if the cylinderjacket is filled with this exhaust steam having a temperature equivalentto or greater than the temperature of the boiler steam at the point ofcut-off, there will be no loss of power from condensation inside of thecylinder, due to cold walls, and further that if the temperature of thejacket steam is maintained high enough there will be an inward flow ofheat to help the steam from the point of cut-off to the end of thepistonstroke, thus ultimately permitting of an earlier cut-off.

Another advantage of this method of preventing cylinder condensation is,that it, to a great extent, eliminates the danger incident to the use ofsuper-heated steam, in that the steam is passed through the super-heaterat or somewhat above atmospheric pressure, which also permits of the useof much less expensive material in the construction of the super-heatingapparatus.

The features of my invention are hereinafter more fully explained andpointed out, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure l, is a vertical central section of a locomotive boiler, withportions thereof broken away, showing apparatus installed thereinsuitable for carrying out my invention.

Fig. 2, is a front end view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a detail of a suitable super-heating element.

In these drawings A, indicates a steamboiler; A, indicates thesmoke-box; A", indicates boiler-fines therein; B, indicates enginecylinders associated with the boiler A; B, indicates the steam conductorpipes from the boiler to the cylinder B; C, indicates the usualexhaust-pipe, all of which parts are of usual and ordinary construction.

Within the smoke-box A, I place the header D, of a super-heater, fromwhich super-heater tubes D, extend backward into some of theboiler-flues A the header D, being in spaced relation to the dischargeends of the boiler-fines A so as to permit of the flow of fire-gastherefrom.

The exhaust-pipe C, I provide with a branch-pipe C, which leads to theintakeside d, of the super-heater header D. With in the exhaust-pipe C,I provide a curved wall G which is adapted to deflect a portion of theexhaust steam into the branch ioe C and to arevent steam from )assin 7 bbackward from the branch-pipe G, into the exhaust-pipe C, I provide anon-return valve 0, which will prevent of the passage of steam into thebranch C; but when closed will prevent a reverse movement of steamtherethrough. From the intake side (i, of the header D, the steam passesinto the tubes D, above the division wall (Z, in said tubes, andreturning it flows under said division wall into the discharge side 6Z2,of the header D, from which it is conducted by the pipe E, into asteam-receiving-jacket E, which incloses the heads and side of thecylinders B, and from the opposite end of the cylinder a pipe E leads toa suitable point of discharge, as shown in the drawings.

In order to prevent over-heating of the super-heater tubes I), when theengine cylinders B, are not being operated, I provide a steam pipe F,leading from a suitable source of supply, which in case of a locomotiveinstallation, may be the exhaust from the air-brake pump, (not shown)whereby a supply of steam within the superheater and cylinder jacket canbe maintained when there is no exhaust from the engine cylinders.

I also provide an air-intake valve F, which communicates with the pipeF, and an air outlet'valve F which controls the passage through the pipef, which connects with the discharge side (Z ofthe header D, so thatwhen the boiler A is being heated up in the round-house or elsewhere,before any steam is generated therein, air may be circulated through thesuper-heater until there is suflicient steam when the valves F and F maybe closed. The steam jacket E, is also itself provided with a jacket G,of any nonconductor of heat, so that there shall be substantially smallloss of heat by reason of outward radiation, thereby causing the enginecylinder B, to receive substantially the full benefit of superheatedexhaust steam passing around the same.

I11 operation, when steam is exhausted from the engine cylinder B aportion thereof,- by reason of the force of the exhaust, is deflected bythe wall C in the exhaust-pipe G, into the branch-pipe C, and thenceinto and through the super-heater header D, and tubes D, located atapoint, with relation to the boiler A, where the fire-gasis lowest intemperature, but greatly in excess of the temperature of the exhauststeam within the super-heater, and thence, after being superheated untilthe temperature thereof is above that of the boiler steam, it passesthrough the pipe E, into the steam cylinder jacket E, surrounding theheads and sides of the cylinder B, escaping therefrom through the pipe Ewhich results in maintaining the cylinder B, at a temperature equal toor slightly above the temperature of the live steam as it leaves theboiler, thereby transferring'the waste heat escaping from the exit endsof the boiler flues A which otherwise would pass to the stack and belost, to

. the wall of the cylinder B, and therethrough to the working steamwithin the cylinder B.

A further result of the practice of my invention as above described, isthe elimination of dangerous high pressure within the super-heatingapparatus.

' Having thus fully described my invention, and the construction andoperation of suitable apparatus for utilizing the same, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Let- V tors-Patent is 1. The combination ofa tubular steam boiler, a superheater located adjacent to the dischargeends of the flues of said boiler, an engine cylinder, a steam jacketthereon, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for steam connection from thedischarge side of said superheater and said jacket, a steam escape pipefrom said jacket, an exhaust pipe from said cylinder, a steam connectionfrom said exhaust pipe to the intake side of said superheater, and meansin said exhaust pipe to deflect a portion of the exhaust steam into saidsuperheater, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a tubular steam boiler, a superheater headeradjacent to the discharge ends of the flues of said boiler, superheatertubes extending from said header into the flues of said boiler, anengine cylinder, a steam jacket thereon, a steam connection from saidsuperheater to said jacket, a steam escape pipe leading from saidjacket, an exhaust pipe, a steam connection between said superheater andsaid exhaust pipe, and means within said exhaust pipe to deflect aportion of the exhaust steam into said superheater, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a steam boiler, a superheater so located as to beacted upon by the Waste fire-gas, an engine cylinder, a steam jacketthereon, a steam connection from said superheater to said jacket, anescape pipe from said jacket, an exhaust pipe from said engine cylinder,a branch pipe leading from said exhaust pipe to said superheater, meansin said exhaust pipe to deflect a portion of the exhaust steam into saidbranch pipe, and a non-return valve to prevent backward flow in saidbranch pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. In an apparatus of the character described, a steam generator, asteam superheating apparatus adjacent to the smoke discharge end of saidgenerator, an engine cylinder, a steam receiving jacket thereon, anexhaust pipe from said engine cylinder, a branch pipe leading from saidexhaust pipe to the intake side of said super-heating apparatus, wherebya portion of the exhaust steam from said exhaust pipe may be conductedinto said superheater, a pipe leading from said superheater into saidsteam jacket, means independent of the exhaust from said engine cylinderto supply steam to said superheater, and means to conduct steam awayfrom said steam jacket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER A. MOFFAT.

Witnesses:

H. M. STURGEON, A. SMITH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents, Washington,D. C.

